


Coexist

by Ravenhoot



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Drabble Collection, F/M, M/M, Pining, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:28:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24983092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenhoot/pseuds/Ravenhoot
Summary: Jaskier listening outside the tent during the dragon hunt.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62





	Coexist

Most of the dwarves had gone off to hunt for their supper. Jaskier sat by the meager campfire, jotting notes in the small book he carried with him. It was helpful when he was suddenly inspired to write a lyric or two. He finished his notes and looked up to find himself alone. He stood, stretching his sore legs. He was no stranger to walking, but this mountain terrain was one he wasn’t used to. He didn’t earn enough coin to buy himself a horse and whenever he traveled with Geralt, riding Roach was absolutely off-limits. 

Although… there had been that one time that Geralt had slung Jaskier into the saddle and ridden off to find a cure for the djinn’s curse. At the time, he’d been solely focused on not dying but long after the danger had passed, Jaskier thought about that day. Jaskier realized how close he must have been to death for Geralt to have put him on his horse.

Where was Geralt now, anyway?

Jaskier glanced around their small campsite and noticed the Witcher’s swords leaning against an outcropping of rock. Next to  _ her  _ tent. 

“Ah,” Jaskier said aloud. “Right.”

He peered around the campsite to see if the dwarves were on there way back, but there was no sign of them. Jaskier slowly approached the mage’s tent, expecting to hear voices as he grew closer, but all he heard was silence. 

An… almost unnatural silence. Once he was close enough to the tent to touch it, he realized why he couldn’t hear anything. He  _ couldn’t  _ touch the tent, even if he’d wanted to. The sorceress had put some kind of enchantment on the tent so that no one could enter. He suspected that was also why he couldn’t hear anything going inside either.

Though, as he considered it, he probably didn’t  _ want  _ to hear anything. 

The dwarves had still not returned. Jaskier suspected they might have set their tents up a little further up the mountain. Which left him alone.

Being alone didn’t bother him. He’d spent most of his life alone. What bothered him was that he wouldn’t be alone right now if  _ she  _ hadn’t shown up. Granted, they wouldn’t even be schlepping up this mountain if she hadn’t shown up. Geralt had been completely ready to turn down the old man’s request until Yennefer had come through the door in that damn tavern.

He sat a short way away from the tent, occasionally tossing pebbles to check if the invisible barrier was still up. The pebbles would bounce off of seemingly nothing without coming into contact with the tent. 

Jaskier was bored. He was tired and hungry and in need of a bath. He could have easily just said no to this whole adventure and stayed in the tavern… but if he was honest with himself, he enjoyed the adventures with Geralt. Even if Geralt constantly groaned and grumbled about his presence. His ceaseless brooding was strangely endearing and when they parted ways for a time, Jaskier found himself missing the Witcher’s snarkiness. 

He began nodding off, his head lolling onto his shoulder. He woke with a start, jerking his head up too quickly, resulting in a sharp pain in his neck. It was fully dark out now. He wondered how long he’d been asleep. He thought he heard murmured voices, so he tossed another pebble at the tent. This time, it collided with the tent’s canvas. Jaskier sat up straighter. Either Yennefer had fallen asleep and her enchantment had dropped or she had deliberately stopped casting it.

He inched closer until he could hear a little better. 

“You didn’t strike me as the modest type.”

“Far from it,” Yennefer replied. “But there’s no point in giving the dwarves a free show. Or that pathetic bard that follows you around like a wounded puppy.”

Jaskier sat back sharply as if he’d been stabbed by a real blade. He missed the first bit of Geralt’s reply when he’d jerked away from the tent. When he leaned back in, he heard that the Witcher’s gruff low voice sounded angry.

“... whatever you want about the dwarves, but leave off Jask.”

“Geralt, honestly,” Yennefer simpered, “it’s pitiful. You don’t even like him. Why allow him to tag along with you?”

“Yen, I’m serious. Leave off.”

Yennefer scoffed. “Oh, don’t tell me you’ve got a soft spot for it.”

“IT?”

“The bard.”

Jaskier heard movement that sounded like it was approaching nearer to him. With a start, he realized Geralt’s voice was coming closer as well. Unfortunately, so was Yennefer’s.

“Where are you going?”

“I’ll sleep outside,” Geralt said with a huff. Jaskier started to scramble back, away from the tent. He wasn’t sure how he would explain being right outside. There was no other explanation aside from the obvious fact that he was eavesdropping. Thankfully, Yennefer exclaimed and from the sounds inside the tent, Geralt had turned around to face her.

“Oh honestly!”

“I told you to leave off.”

“Why?”

Geralt made a strangled sound but didn’t reply. Jaskier could picture it as clearly as if he could see through the tent canvas like a window. It was the noise he made when he wanted to rage at someone but was holding himself back. 

“Don’t be needlessly hateful, Yen,” Geralt finally said. There was a forced calm in his voice that Jaskier recognized all too well. “You have more than most. You’re beautiful and powerful. Don’t be greedy.”

“You’re saying I need to learn to share with the bard?” She scoffed again. If there was an award for most contemptuous scoff, Yennefer would win every time.

“I’m saying... that you were right about him the first time we met,” Geralt said, almost too low for Jaskier to hear.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Yennefer muttered. She paused and Jaskier desperately wished he could see Geralt's facial expression. He often said more through his expressions than with words. 

"Ahhh," Yennefer continued, "so it means he _is_ your friend."

“It means that you two better learn to coexist.” 

“Fine,” Yennefer huffed. 

Jaskier sat with his back against the outcropping, only a few feet from Geralt’s swords, and opened his notebook to jot a few more lines. He let his mind wander, neglecting to listen to the conversation inside the tent for a bit. 

He wished he understood what power Yennefer had over Geralt. He seemed to lose all reason whenever she was around, making decisions he never would have if she hadn’t been there. If there was one thing Jaskier regretted, it was how he’d caused Geralt to release the djinn, causing them to meet Yennefer in the first place. Although, that had been one of the rare moments when Geralt had  _ actually  _ seemed concerned for Jaskier’s wellbeing. At the very least, he’d seemed troubled that Jaskier might have died. 

Jaskier hadn’t believed the djinn’s curse to be that serious.... Until Geralt had hauled Jaskier onto Roach’s saddle and galloped toward town. No one was allowed to even  _ touch  _ Roach, much less ride her. That had been when Jaskier had begun to fear for his life. 

And then they’d been led to Yennefer. Loathsome woman. 

Jaskier heard Yennefer say something he couldn’t make out, and then Geralt replied, “You’re important to me.”

Jaskier sighed as he stood, intent on going back to the fire to bed down for the night. Twenty-two years he had been Geralt’s friend… and not once had he told him that. 


End file.
